Bank-teller&#39;s window guard



109. SAI'IZS, BANK FHUIILUIIUN AND RELATED DEVICES.

Feb- 5 a 1,482,961 J. N. BANITT ET AL BANK TELLERS WINDOW GUARD Filed May 23, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 and?) c/T z'amanzg 109. SAFES, BANK PROTECTION AND RELATED DEVICES.

Feb. 5 1924. 1,482,961

J. N. BANITT ET AL BANK TELLERS WINDOW GUARD Filed May 23, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 '7 y ih //f.' Z2 Z7 Z .Z' -5...

:[MBa/u'ii clT/Zz'emann 109, SM ts, BANK PM) I LU IUN AND RELATED DEVICES.

Feb. 5 1924;

J. N. BANITT ET AL BANK TELLER'S wmnow GUARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 23 I 1922 AND RELATED DEVICES.

Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN N. BANITT AND JACOB THIEMANN, OF GOODI-IUE, MINNESOTA.

BANK-TELLERS WINDOW GUARD.

Application filed May 23, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN N. BANITT and JACOB THIEMANN, citizens of the United States, residing at Goodhue, in the county of Goodhue and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Bank-Tellers Window Guard; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a guard means particularly adapted for use at the windows of tellers booths in banks, cashiers ofiices, and other locations where money or valuables are kept or handled.

It is aimed to provide a construction whereby such a window may be instantly closed when desired, as in the event a bandit or other person should unlawfully demand money or goods, so that the teller will be concealed and out of pistol range.

A second object is to provide a window of the type described having stationary slats, and movable slats to cooperate therewith mounted in a novel manner.

Another object is to provide a construction in which both a slatted window and a door for the paying opening are movable to different extents but simultaneously closable.

Still another object is to provide a construction in which a novel weight means is used to close the window or windows and which may be tripped in any suitable manner at the option of the teller or other person to be protected.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with the accompanying, drawings illustrating one practical embodiment.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view showing the improved tellers window constructed in accordance with our invention and in rear elevation;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4: is cross sectional view on the line 14 of Figure 1; to illustrate the mounting of guide pulleys for the window closing means;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the trip means;

Serial No. 563,079.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view illustrating the Windlass used for one of the weight-raising cables;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 1, but with the closure in operative position;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view illustrazing the plug mounted in the closure; an

Figure 9 is a detail elevation of the same.

Like reference characters designate like or similar parts in the different views.

In reducing the invention to practice, a fixture has been shown at A of the type usually found in front of a tellers booth in a bank, a cashiers office or other place where money or valuables are handled. This fixture consists for example of a cabinet B having compartments closed by doors C, a space D between them, and various drawers as at E. At the top of the cabinet B the usual counter F is provided. The fixture may have sides as at G. The cabinet may have a wall at Hand a space as at I adjacent to the same.

An improved form of window is shown as at J. At the top this window may be bordered by molding such as 10 and depending from the same and secured thereto and to lower molding bars 11, secured to the counter, are spaced slats 12, the spaces between which constitute window openings and are normally exposed. Upright rails 13 are rigidly disposed between the top rail or bar 10 and the counter F and said bars 11 at their inner ends are secured thereto. A short rail 14 is secured intermediate the rails 13 and a short distance above the counter F to provide at 15, a window or space through which money or valuables are passed. The central slats directly above the rail 14 are secured thereto.

Slidably disposed in horizontal grooves 15 of the rails 13, is a bar 16 of less length than the distance between the side walls G and preferably to the extent of one of the spaces between bars or slats 12. The bar 16 constitutes a part of a shutter for the spaces between slats 12 which is completed by means of slats 17 secured thereto and adapted at times to close the said openings between slats 12. The ends of the slats 17 are slidably mounted in grooves 18, 19 and 20, provided respectively in the bars 10, 11 and 14. Connecting bars or rails 21 may be disposed one in each of the Said grooves 18, 19 and 20, and to which the ends of the slats 17 are fastened. Also mounted in the said grooves 18, 19 and 20, may be rollers 22, on which the bars 21 ride in order to reduce friction.

It will thus be seen that the shutter 16-17 may operate to close the spaces between slats 12 and thus provide an imperforate window except for the opening 15.

In order to close the opening 15, a door or closure 24 is provided. The closure 24 is slidable into a groove 25 of one of the bars 11 and is carried by a rod 26, slida-ble in the bars 11 and concealed thereby. One of the uprights 13 has the groove 25 therethrough as well as one of the bars 11 while the other upright 13 is grooved as at 27 to accommodate the free end of the closure 24 therein. Thus it will be seen that the door 24 is slidable into and out of position exposing the opening at 15.

When both closures 1617 and 24 are closed, the teller or person behind the counter F would be concealed and out of pistol range. At the same time, it is desirable that the teller should be able to fire a pistol through the Window and to this end, a plug 28 normally closes an opening 29 in the closure 24, being normally held in closed position by means of a spring 30. This construction prevents the plug 29 being pushed toward the teller but enables the teller to push the plug outwardly toward the bandit.

It is desired that means be provided whereby the closures 1617 and 24 may be imultaneously and rapidly closed as in the event of the unlawful demand for money or valuables, and that such means be under the control of the teller. To this end, a flexible draw cable 30, is fastened to the bar 16 and adapted to pass over a guide pulley at 31 secured in one of the side walls G. This cable has connection with a suitable weight as at 32 and its opposite end is connected at 33 to a detent 34. Said cable may also pass over a suitably arranged guide pulley 35. Said detent preferably has a depending lug 36 adapted to hook over or abut an upstanding lug 37 on a catch block 38 secured at any suitable location.

Secured to the rod 26 is a draw cable 39 which passes over a guide pulley at 40 secured in one of the walls G and over guide pulleys 41 to a suitable weight 42 and thence over a guide pulley 43 to the said detent A suitable trip means is provided for the detent 34 and to this end a f0ot-0perable lever 44 is pivoted as at 45 to the wall H and from one end of the lever 44 a link or cable 45 extends and is connected to the detent 34.

It will be understood that the weights 32 and 42 and detent 34 and catch 38 may be disposed at any suitable location and for instance preferably below the floor which.

supports the fixture A and for instance in a cellar below such floor and that the weights and 42 are located at a distance above the floor of the cellar so that they may fall at desired times.

In the event a demand should unlawfully be made for money, or the teller finds himself otherwise in danger, he may place his foot on the lever 44, thus tilting it and elevating the detent so that its lug 36 disengages the lug 37. The slack in the cables 30 and 39 will then be taken up through the downward movement or falling of the weights 32 and 42, thus forcibly and quickly closing the closures l6-17 and simultaneously the closure Thus the teller will be concealed and protected. If the teller should desire to shoot the bandit, he may insert the barrel of a fire arm through the opening 29, against the plug 28 and the tension of its spring 30. At the same time, a bandit cannot insert a barrel of a fire arm through the opening 29 as the plug can only move outwardly.

In order to permit the weights 32 and 42 to be raised to provide slack in the cables 30 and 39 so that the detent 34 may be hooked to the catch 38, a plurality of windlass shafts are provided as at 46, journaled in bearings 47 and having operating cranks 48. Secured to the shafts 46 are elevating or lifting cables 49, one connected to the weight 32 and the other to the weight 42. T hus by turning the shafts 46, the cables 49 will be wound thereon and the weights elevated, providing slack in the cables 30 and 39 which will permit the detent 34 to be hooked to the lug 37.

In each of the cables 30 and 39, suitable turn buckles 50 may be provided in order to vary the length of the cables to better adapt them to their function.

As merely one practical embodiment has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is 1. In a window of the class described, an upper bar and lower bars, spaced slats spanning said bars, uprights connecting said bars, a rail connecting said uprights and providing window space below it intermediate the lower bars, a closure slidable through one of said uprights and one of said lower bars to close or expose said Window space, slats in spaced relation spanning said bars, said uprights being slotted, a bar slidable in the slots of the uprights, closure slats for the spaces between the first slats carried by the last mentioned bar, said upper and lower bars and rail having grooves in which the closure slats slide.

2. In a window of the class described, a

AND RELATED DEVICES.

closure, said closure having a window opening therethrough, a closure movable independently of the first closure to cover said opening, draw cables movable to different extents to operate the closures, means to urge drawing movement of both cables, a detent to which both cables are connected, catch means engageable by the detent, and means operable to disengage the detent from the catch means.

3. In a window of the class described, a closure, said closure having a window opening therethrough, a closure movable independently of the first closure to cover said opening, draw cables movable to different extents to operate the closures, means to JOHN N. BANITT. JACOB THIEMANN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. SAWYER, BLANCHE B. BARRY. 

